The man who made Simon Rattle and roll
RIPIn March 1978, an orchestra employee came to work in Birmingham on a Monday morning to find that both the chief executive and the music director had resigned.
Beresford King-Smith, stepping up as acting general manager, set on motion the process by which two Liverpool lads in their 20s were nominated to fill the gaps – Edward Smith as general manager and Simon Rattle as chief conductor.
It was a transformational moment for the orchestra, and for music in Britain as a whole.
Beresford King-Smith has died aged 90. Obituary here.
Dear me. He was a wholly remarkable figure, and I find it hard to imagine a CBSO without him. He was, I suppose, old school in the best sense of the term – synonymous with integrity and loyalty. And, by the way, a darned good baritone.
A lovely man and an excellent exemplar of the musical world and advocate of the CBSO in particular. His like may not be seen again and, as has been said, his death is a great loss to music in the Midlands and the UK.
I met Beresford King – Smith when he was sat next to me at a service in St Francis Church , Keynsham , the small town between Bristol and Bath where he was born and still had relatives at that time.
Hearing a young professional singer beside him he immediately struck up a conversation. A warm , kindly and hugely knowledgeable man with a heart for music , he made a fine and major contribution to musicmaking . His book ‘Crescendo’ is a pleasing read.
On other occasions I was priviledged to hear presentations by Beresford and also his cousin Dick King Smith. Dick was a highly successful children’s author, one of whose books was turned into the film ‘Babe.’
The musical life of Britain has been selflessly supported by people like Beresford King – Smith who have shared not only their professional skills, but something much more , their passion for bringing classical music to the widest audience possible.
One of the CBSO Family Greats !
I thought it was Ed Smith who was responsible for suggesting Rattle to the CBSO? There was certainly something like a two year gap between the two appointments. Still, success, as the saying goes, has many fathers and it doesn’t detract from the fact that Beresford-Smith’s very long contribution to the orchestra was remarkable.
Thank you for sharing this news, Norman – Beresford was a sort of father-figure to the whole extended CBSO “family” and we are all missing him, deeply, today.
He was a modest man, despite his many remarkable achievements, but (as a consummate orchestra manager) he was an absolute stickler for accuracy and detail. So I ought to say (because I can imagine him appearing silently over my shoulder at CBSO Centre and politely asking for it to be clarified) that he didn’t actually appoint Edward Smith or Simon Rattle. He was Acting General Manager between Fremaux’s departure and Ed’s arrival; he kept the show on the road when there was no-one left to do so.
But the appointment was steered by the Management Committee; certainly with Beresford’s advice and support, but not at his behest. In fact, at one point they asked him to take on the General Manager role permanently, and he declined. Like many seasoned orchestra managers, he knew (and had seen) far too much to want to shoulder that responsibility himself. He went on to serve as Ed’s deputy for the remainder of his full-time career – he told me that he never once regretted or doubted the decision, and considered the years that he spent working alongside Ed Smith and Simon Rattle the happiest and most rewarding of his career.
British music would have been poorer without him. May he rest in peace.
Thank you, Richard.